Indigenous Patient Navigator, Casual

Vancouver Coastal Health • Vancouver, BC

87d • CA$42 - CA$53

About The Position

Come work as an Indigenous Patient Navigator with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)!
Vancouver Coastal Health is looking for an Indigenous Patient Navigator to join the Indigenous Health Patient Experience team. Apply today to join our team!
Vancouver Coastal Health is committed to improving the health and access to culturally safe healthcare of the Indigenous people in our region, and we recognize that we all have a contribution to make in reconciliation and healing. VCH’s Indigenous Health team works with staff and physicians across all programs and departments to provide strategic leadership, partner collaboration and community engagement to assist VCH to become a more culturally competent and safe organization.
Strong preference given to candidates identifying as Indigenous, including First Nations, Metis, or Inuit. We are striving to build a diverse team that has lived experience with Indigenous communities. It will greatly assist us with screening if you refer in your application to your Indigenous identity. Recognizing the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people, it is your choice whether to volunteer information. We will hold your application in strictest confidence, sharing it only with the hiring panel.
As an Indigenous Patient Navigator with Vancouver Coastal Health you will:
Be accountable for providing day-to-day health system navigation support to create safe people, places, and systems for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit clients and their families of Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).
Liaise with clients and primary care teams who provide direct client and family support, to ensure their successful access to primary care and community-based health care services.
Be responsible for ensuring that patient care occurs in a culturally safe and respectful manner by – people:
connecting with clients and families to offer support
helping clients and families voice their questions or concerns to the primary care teams
offering traditional culturally safe resources that compliment current healthcare regimes
mitigate potential complaints by acting as a conduit between client and care team through presence, communication, approach, and understanding.
Liaise with a variety of Indigenous community based agencies.
Inform and influence program development, planning and evaluation of services for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit clients through the patient experience process of navigating the healthcare system.
Key partnerships are with the Indigenous Health Program, interdisciplinary VCH health care providers, and VCH leadership. This work is aligned with VCH’s people-centred values and focused on advancing Indigenous Cultural Safety, anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Requirements

• Two (2) to three (3) years’ recent, related experience working with Indigenous communities in British Columbia, with a combination of training, education and/or experience in a similar field.
• Comprehensive knowledge and demonstrated ability to provide culturally safe care, has completed Indigenous Cultural Safety Training.
• Demonstrated understanding and in-depth knowledge of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples and history.
• Demonstrated understanding of provincial and federal guiding principles and documents, for example In Plain Sight report, and calls to action to eliminate Indigenous-specific racism in the health care sector.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize current health care system gaps and barriers for Indigenous individuals and communities seeking health care.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and recognize power inequities within the healthcare system associated with ongoing impacts of colonialism.?
• Broad knowledge of Indigenous and non-Indigenous services and resources currently available within Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH’s) communities of care (CoC’s) for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit clients in need of health and social supports.
• Demonstrated knowledge on how to apply Trauma Informed Practice and Harm Reduction approaches and Strengths-based care.
• Demonstrated knowledge of mental health and substance use.
• Demonstrated ability to provide and culturally safety care in a variety of settings and with diverse populations.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate and maintain collaborative, respectful, and caring working relationships with colleagues, partners and clients.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated intermediate skill with operating wordprocessing, spreadsheet, and database programs.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the position.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in health care, Social Work, Nursing or related discipline preferred.
• Travel within the health authority’s geographic area is required, with access to appropriate transportation.

Responsibilities

• Be accountable for providing day-to-day health system navigation support to create safe people, places, and systems for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit clients and their families of Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).
• Liaise with clients and primary care teams who provide direct client and family support, to ensure their successful access to primary care and community-based health care services.
• Be responsible for ensuring that patient care occurs in a culturally safe and respectful manner by – people: connecting with clients and families to offer support, helping clients and families voice their questions or concerns to the primary care teams, offering traditional culturally safe resources that compliment current healthcare regimes, mitigate potential complaints by acting as a conduit between client and care team through presence, communication, approach, and understanding.
• Liaise with a variety of Indigenous community based agencies.
• Inform and influence program development, planning and evaluation of services for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit clients through the patient experience process of navigating the healthcare system.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits package, including MSP, extended health and dental and municipal pension plan
• Grow your career with employer-paid training and leadership development opportunities
• Wellness supports, including counselling, critical incident and innovative wellness services are available to employees and their immediate families
• Award-winning recognition programs to honour staff, medical staff and volunteers
• Access to exclusive discount offers and deals for VCH staff

What This Job Offers

• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees